Saturday, October 17, 2015

Alcorn-Grambling;Bethune-Cookman-NCAT; Chowan-Va Union Just a Few of Big Conference Football Matchups Today; Full HBCU Football Schedule

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

It's mid-season and the HBCU football conference races have gotten to the meat of their schedules.
Today, several big games are on tap in all four HBCU conferences such as:

Grambling at Alcorn State

In what many believe is the precursor to the SWAC Championship Game, Jay Hopson's team gets it first real test of the SWAC season as Alcorn State (4-1, 3-0 SWAC), the best team in the SWAC's Eastern Division, hosts Grambling (4-2, 4-0 SWAC), the conference's top team from the Western Division.

Alcorn State, the top team in the ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS Top Ten, has defeated their three SWAC opponents by an average margin of 35 points, though two of those teams - Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff - are a combined 1-11 so far this season.

Still, the Braves feature quarterback John Gibbs Jr., who is in the SWAC top ten in both rushing and passing, and the conference's top rusher in Ragsdale Darry who averages 85 yards a game.  They also have the SWAC's top defensive unit, giving up just 275 yards of offense each game - the only SWAC team to hold opponents to less than 300 yards each game.

Revenge may be a factor in Lorman today. Grambling defeated Alcorn State last season.  And it's homecoming weekend.

"We have to go over there in a hostile environment and really come away with a victory," Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs told the Shreveport Times.  "They're scoring a lot of points and they're stopping people from scoring.  We have to play a flawless performance in order to be standing at the end."

ASU will need to keep up with the G-Men.  Grambling actually leads the SWAC in scoring offense, as they've scored 44 points a game so far this season, and has the second best overall offensive team in the conference, just ahead of the Braves.   Their problem - defense.  The G-Men are tops in stopping the run, but have the SWAC's worst past defense.

Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina A&T 

Two of the five teams that tied for the MEAC championship last year battle in a huge conference game between two teams without a MEAC loss this season.

Bethune-Cookman (5-1, 3-0 MEAC) faces their third straight team to share last season's conference championship.  North Carolina A&T (4-1, 2-0 MEAC), as is their personality, has excelled on defense in 2015.  They lead the MEAC in total defense, rushing defense and are second in pass defense to South Carolina State, a team BCU struggled on offense against last week.

That defense works in perfect tandem with an Aggies running game that features the MEAC's top rusher in Tarik Cohen who averages 106 yards a game and has rushed for seven TDs.

BCU head coach Terry Sims has lauded his young, bend but don't break defense and thinks they are up to the task of stopping Cohen.

"Those guys have been forced to pay attention to detail," Sims told the Daytona News Journal.  "We have nine new guys playing on that side of the ball, but we have been playing together for some weeks now, and they are starting to get used to playing with each other.  I think we are going to start to see some big things from that group."

It will be the first time in 42 days that North Carolina A&T has played a home games -- since their season opening win over Shaw.  Broadway, who said the MEAC championship will be determined during this point in the season, is ready.

"I'm anxious to see how we match up against this team," A&T head coach Rod Broadway told the Greensboro News-Record.  "Bethune has been at the top of this league for a long time.  They're just as good as they've ever been athletically.  They can run.  They have good skill people.  They're good up front.  I'm anxious to play them."

Chowan at Virginia Union

While this is a huge CIAA game for both Chowan and Virginia Union, it's probably a little more urgent for Chowan (4-2, 2-1 CIAA).  The Hawks lost a tough, hard-fought game against a hot CIAA North leading-Bowie State 17-14 last week, making a loss to fellow Northern Division team, Virginia Union (5-1, 3-0 CIAA) potentially a must-win if they hope to get to the CIAA championship game.

But its homecoming day at Virginia Union (5-1, 3-0 CIAA), a team that leads the conference in scoring (34.5 points a game), touchdowns (28) and total defense as they've only given up an average of 143 yards and 14 points a game.

Here's a look at the entire HBCU football schedule for this Saturday

CIAA

Livingstone at Shaw
Winston-Salem State at St. Augustine's - Winston-Salem State's struggles are well documented this year.  They are 2-4 overall.  But they are tied Fayetteville State in the CIAA South Division as both teams are 1-0.  WSSU has a conference loss, which Fayetteville State does not have, so the Rams need to win to keep a title game shot as a legitimate goal.
Lincoln (Pa) at Elizabeth City State
Bowie State at Virginia State - The CIAA Northern Division has TWO big games today.  The second after Chowan-Virginia Union is this one, pitting the division leading Bowie State against a Virginia State team that needs a win to keep pace and take over first place.
Fayetteville State at Johnson C. Smith

MEAC

Hampton at Morgan State
Howard at South Carolina State
North Carolina Central at Savannah State - Sounds like an easy game for North Carolina Central, a team that can't afford another conference loss if they hope to stay in the MEAC title race.  But this is the definition of trap game as the Tigers have been MEAC doormats for the past few years, but they defeated Florida A&M decisively two weeks ago.
Delaware State at Florida A&M

SIAC

Stillman at Tuskegee - The ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT Division II top team in Tuskegee comes off a decisive win last week over a good Morehouse team.  But Stillman is no pushover as they feature one of the SIAC's hottest quarterbacks in Brett Standifer.
Morehouse at Albany State
Central State at Lane
Clark Atlanta at Benedict
Kentucky State at Miles
Florida Tech at Fort Valley State

SWAC

Jackson State at Alabama A&M
Texas Southern at Mississippi Valley State
Prairie View at Southern

OTHERS 

Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State - It's homecoming week at TSU (3-2, 0-2 OVC), but don't expect an easy homecoming win.  The last two times EIU (2-3, 2-0 OVC) has been Tennessee State's homecoming opponent - 2013 and 2010 - they have been Big Blue losses.  Eastern Illinois has defeated TSU each of the last three years.
Southwestern Assemblies of God vs. Langston
Cheyney at Lock Haven
West Virginia State at Shepherd
Missouri S&T at Lincoln (Mo)
Bacone at Texas College

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Two-Time Defending MEAC Regular Season Champs North Carolina Central Tabbed As Favorites to Win Mens Hoops Title in This Year; Norfolk State's Jeff Short Named Preseason Player of the Year

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
If you think that the North Carolina Central's mens basketball team is destined to slip this season after losing four of five starters from last year's 25-8 team, you are mistaken.

The Eagles, two-time defending regular season champs, were picked by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference coaches and sports information directors to win the MEAC title this year.  But they return one starter, guard Dante Holmes.

"This year we have new guys, new faces, new personalities, but the culture is going to be the same," said head coach Levelle Moton.  "That's the learning process, and the learning curve they're going through right now.  They're getting to know me and I'm getting to know them, and all of the intangibles that come along with forming a new found relationship."

Holmes, who was picked to the 2015 Preseason All-MEAC second team, averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game for a team that went 16-0 in the regular season, losing early in the MEAC title game by four points, but making a game appearance in the NIT tourney against the ACC's Miami (Fla) last season.

Joining seven new players will be holdovers Jay Copeland (a redshirt senior center who missed last year with an injury), guards Jeremiah Ingram, Jamal Ferguson, Rashaun Madison, Kevin Crawford, Marius McAllister, among others.  

"Obviously we have a long way to go, but they're trying to buy in and it's going to be a different team," he said.  "We're excited to say the least."

Hampton finished 17-18 last season, but won the MEAC tournament title.  Led by the preseason All-MEAC trio in Quinton Chievous, Brian Darden and Jervon Pressley, the Pirates were picked to finish second, just ahead of Norfolk State, a team led by preseason MEAC Player of the Year guard Jeff Short.

Short was second in MEAC scoring last season with 19.1 points a game, ranking him 29th in the nation.

Here are the complete MEAC mens basketball preseason predictions and All-MEAC teams:
 
2015 MEAC Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. North Carolina Central (16)316 points
2. Hampton (9)297 points
3. Norfolk State283 points
4. UMES249 points
5. Howard (1)235 points
6. North Carolina A&T163 points
7. Morgan State159 points
8. South Carolina State (1)144 points
9. Delaware State138 points
10. Bethune-Cookman135 points
11. Coppin State (1)113 points
12. Savannah State103 points
13. Florida A&M31 points

2015-16 Men's Basketball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
First Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Wt.Cl.Hometown
Jeff ShortNorfolk StateG6-4205R-Sr.Bronx, N.Y.
James DanielHowardG5-10165Jr.Hampton, Va.
Quinton ChievousHamptonG/F6-6215Gr.Chicago, Ill.
Bruce BeckfordN.C. A&TF6-7215Sr.Silver Spring, Md.
Dominique ElliottUMESC6-8245Sr.Savannah, Ga.

Second Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Wt.Cl.Hometown
Brian DardenHamptonG6-2183Sr.Hampton, Va.
Dante HolmesN.C. CentralG6-3190R-Sr.Baltimore, Md.
D'Shon TaylorNorfolk StateG/F6-5205Sr.Nassau, Bahamas
Cedric BlossomMorgan StateF6-6225Sr.Columbia, Md.
Darryl PalmerS.C. StateC6-8210Sr.Summerville, S.C.

Third Team
NameSchoolPos.Ht.Wt.Cl.Hometown
Ricky JohnsonBethune-CookmanG5-9160R-Sr.Akron, Ohio
Devin MartinUMESG6-4205Sr.Baltimore, Md.
Greg MortimerS.C. StateG/F6-3191Jr.Savannah, Ga.
Brian PearsonSavannah StateF6-7230Sr.Monroe, Ga.
Jervon PressleyHamptonC6-8250Sr.Charlotte, N.C.

Alcorn State and Tuskegee Remain Atop This Week's ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT Top Ten Football Polls. See Each Poll Here

Here is this week's ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT Football Top Ten Polls for FCS and Division II HBCU football schools:


FCS

1) Alcorn State
2) Bethune-Cookman
3) North Carolina A&T
4) Grambling
5) Southern
6) Morgan State
7) South Carolina State
8) Prairie View A&M
9) North Carolina Central
10) Tennessee State



DIVISION II

1) Tuskegee
2) Virginia Union
3) Bowie State
4) Chowan
5) Fort Valley State
6) Virginia State
7) Fayetteville State
8) Elizabeth City State
9) Morehouse
10) Stillman

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Scores and Recaps of EVERY HBCU Football Game from Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

SIAC

Tuskegee 35, Morehouse 7 - Tuskegee (5-1, 4-0 SIAC) got 35 first half points in getting their third straight dominant win over a much better Morehouse (3-3, 1-2 SIAC) team in this 105 year old series. Tuskegee picked off five Morehouse passes.
Miles 34, Central State 9 - Miles (2-4,  2-1 SIAC) held the Central State offense to less than 300 yards and got a solid win.  Quarterback John McDowell rushed for 58 yards and passed for 160 while Jamarcus Nance rushed for 90 yards and three TDs for Miles. Central State (2-4, 2-2 SIAC) rushed for 171 yards.
Stillman 22, Clark Atlanta 14 - Stillman (3-2, 2-1 SIAC) jumped out to a 15-0 lead early to hold on to the win to put them over the .500 mark. Brett Standifer threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another for Stillman.  Jaha McCray rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown for winless CAU (0-6, 0-5 SIAC).
Fort Valley State 35, Kentucky State 10 - Malcolm Ealy threw four touchdown passes while Seth Hill ran for 104 and a score to lead Fort Valley State (4-2, 4-0 SIAC).  Alex Springs led Kentucky State () with 280 yards passing and a touchdown. FVSU had nine sacks on the day
Lane 23, Benedict 19 - Quarterback Marcus Reynolds threw for 163 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 132 and another score to lead Lane (2-4, 1-3 SIAC) to the win. Patrick Hoard led Benedict (0-6, 0-4 SIAC) with 148 yards passing and two touchdowns.

SWAC

Prairie View A&M 45, Mississippi Valley State 6 -
Grambling 37, Alabama A&M 14,
Southern 45, Alabama State 34 -

CIAA

Virginia Union 66, Lincoln (Pa) 27 -
Virginia State 24, Elizabeth City State 23 -
Livingstone 31, St. Augustine's 7 -
Fayetteville State 36, Shaw 29 -
Winston-Salem State 37, Johnson C. Smith 22 -
Bowie State 17, Chowan 14 -

MEAC

Morgan State 42, Savannah State 3 -
North Carolina Central 27, Florida A&M 24 -
North Carolina A&T 27, Norfolk State 3 -
Hampton 21, Delaware State 7 -
Bethune-Cookman 17, South Carolina State 14 (Thursday) -

OTHERS

UT-Martin 24, Tennessee State 14 -
East Stroudsburg 69, Cheyney 7 -
West Virginia State 32, Notre Dame College 29 -
Lincoln (Mo) 42, St. Joseph's College 14 -
Arizona Christian 55, Langston 52 -